This invention relates to electromagnetic pickup apparatus for stringed musical instruments. The following explanation is made with specific, but non-limiting, reference to electric guitars.
There are many different sounding electromagnetic pickup devices. Any one type typically tends to reproduce only a powerful low end with lesser highs or a brilliant high end with a lack of lows and a considerable loss of output. One type of pickup apparatus particularly suited for reproducing the low end has a hum-canceling dual-winding transducer, whereas one type of pickup apparatus particularly suited for reproducing the high end has a non-hum-canceling single-winding transducer. Although combinations of these are used to give a player a wider variety of sounds at different output levels, there are at least two shortcomings of relevance to the present invention: resonant peaks and location of pickups.
As to resonant peaks, a prior hum-canceling dual-winding pickup apparatus typically has wide band peaks in the midrange (e.g., 3,000 hertz to 5,000 hertz) that can make the reproduced sound undesirably harsh because at least some of these peaks correspond to, and thus enhance the reproduction of, undesired harmonics of a low fundamental frequency produced by a vibrating string when it is played.
As to the location factor, such a prior hum-canceling dual-winding pickup device located at the fingerboard position tends to reproduce imprecise and mushy low frequencies, especially at today's high volume performance levels. Such lows are better reproduced by the pickup at the bridge position; however, this is where the aforementioned harmonics are more likely sensed and reproduced.
The location of the pickup apparatus can also hinder the player in his or her performance when several transducers have to be mounted between the bridge and fingerboard to give the player a variety of different sounds. These can physically impede playing both because they can be in the way when the player wants to pick individual strings and because they require the player to reach for and manipulate multiple controls for connecting different combinations of the transducers.
In view of the aforementioned shortcomings, there is the need for a pickup apparatus that can reproduce a rich powerful low end without significant harshness due to harmonics in the midrange where resonant peaks have typically existed in previous pickup apparatus. Such a pickup apparatus should also be substantially noise free. Preferably, such a pickup apparatus should also be able to sense and reproduce brilliant highs. To free the playing area and obviate excessive control handling, thereby facilitating playing, such a pickup apparatus preferably should have a single transducer assembly that can be located out of the player's way near the bridge of the instrument and that can be used in reproducing a variety of sounds heretofore available only through the use of multiple transducer assemblies, and such reproduction should be at a consistent high output level regardless of whether lows or highs are being reproduced.